Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dreamy Yolinda’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Dreamy Yolinda’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely branching growth habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences; and light yellow-colored ray florets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Dreamy Yolinda’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofthe Chrysanthemum cultivar Linda, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.8,294. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a single flowering plant within a population of flowering plants ofthe parent cultivar in October, 1997 in a controlled environment inHightstown, N.J. The selection of this plant was based on its unique rayfloret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Gainesville, Fla. since December, 1997, hasshown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Dreamy Yolinda has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dreamy Yolinda’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Dreamy Yolinda’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Upright plant habit.

2. Freely branching, dense, full plants.

3. Uniform and freely flowering.

4. Decorative-type inflorescences.

5. Light yellow-colored ray florets.

Compared to plants of the parent cultivar Linda, plants of the newChrysanthemum flower earlier and differ in ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Dreamy Yolinda’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Dreamy Yolinda’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., underconditions which approximate those generally used in commercial gardenChrysanthemum production. One rooted cutting was planted in a 15-cmcontainer in July, 2000 and plants were grown under natural seasonconditions. Plants were not pinched, that is, the terminal apex was notremoved to enhance branching. Measurements and numerical valuesrepresent averages for typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar DreamyYolinda.

Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofChrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Linda, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat.No. 8,294.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.

Root description.—White, fine and fibrous.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.Inverted triangle; upright plant form. Stems initially upright, thensomewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformly mounded appearance tothe plant. Freely branching with about 11 lateral branches per plant.

Plant height.—About 22 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 28 cm.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internodelength: About 1.6 cm. Aspect: Upright and somewhat outward. Texture:Pubescent. Color: 144A.

Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 5.4 cm.Width: About 4.1 cm. Apex: Cuspidate to mucronate. Base: Attenuate.Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses mostly divergent. Texture: Bothsurfaces, pubescent; veins prominent on lower surface. Color: Youngfoliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lower surface: 147B. Maturefoliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage lower surface: 147B.Venation, both surfaces: 146B. Petiole length: About 2.1 cm. Petiolediameter: About 2.5 mm. Petiole color, both surfaces: 146B to 146C.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with elongatedoblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals abovefoliage, arising from leaf axils. Disk and ray florets arrangedacropetally on a capitulum. About 11 inflorescences per lateral; about121 inflorescences per plant.

Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants flower inlate September to early October in the Northern Hemisphere and continueto flower for at least three weeks depending on weather conditions.

Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter:About 7 mm. Phyllary color: 143A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.7 cm. Depth (height): About 1.9cm. Disc diameter: About 2 mm or less, inconspicuous. Receptaclediameter: About 6.5 mm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 2.2 cm. Corolla tubelength: About 6 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Apex: Acute, emarginate ordenate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, satiny. Orientation:Initially upright and incurved, then perpendicular to the peduncle andconcave. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 219. Color: Whenopening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 4A. Opened inflorescence,upper surface: Close to 4B to 4C; fading to close to 4C to 4D. Openedinflorescence, lower surface: Close to 4C to 4D.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tabular, apex dentate. Length: About 4 mm. Width:Apex: About 1.25 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets perinflorescence: Less than 10. Color: Immature: 154A. Mature: Apex: 9A.Mid-section: 154D to 155D. Base: 155D.

Peduncle.—Aspect: Flexible, angled about 45° from the stem. Length:First peduncle: About 7.1 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 11.4 cm. Diameter:About 2 mm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144B.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 9A. Pollen: None. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and discflorets.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new chrysanthemum have not been shownto be resistant to pathogens common to Chrysanthemums.

Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been observedto be tolerant to rain and wind.

 